Best Birthday Ever

I'm still recovering from the best weekend trip. I was invited to spend a weekend at the coast with a big group of friends, some long time and some newer to my life, to do as it was explained to me "whatever we want". Whatever we want resulted in drunken pajama dancing and loads of laughter. My throat and stomach were sore the next day from laughing so much.

It was a wonderful way to welcome in my 30s and I'm sure I'll have so many memories (or at least most of them) to remember for a very long time.

[Pictures withheld for the protection of the innocent and not so innocent]

With tears and laughter

My little brother just sent me a copy of his will. It is full of his humor and generosity. It made me laugh a little but it mostly just clenched my heart.

I hope those words are never read in any official way. I couldn't take it. The world needs him in it. I need him around too.

Deployment

My little brother is leaving in a few short days. He's going on a big ship into the even bigger Pacific ocean. I am trying to have faith that he will remain safe, that he will have a grand adventure, that he will not actually kill anyone.

I worry about his safety, of course, but I also worry that this experience will change him as it must but, that it will change him in a negative way. I worry he will come back so different that we won't know each other anymore.

He has a kind heart and is generous of his time, love, and gifting. I don't want war to harden his heart. I don't want him to have to live with the act of killing another person, enemy or not.

There is nothing I can do to change what will happen and for his sake I can only say positive and encouraging things. Here though, I can write the words I cannot speak.


May he be safe.